The Marines had again been called upon as a result of the civil disorder in Mexico in 1910. Recurring problems with Mexico during the presidency of Porfirio Diaz alarmed President William Howard Taft, and in 1911 he dispatched 4th Provisional Marine Regiment to San Diego for deployment to Mexico.
Under the command of Colonel Charles A. Doyen, USMC, the 4th Provisional Marine Regiment, in March 1911, became the first Marines to occupy San Diego since the Mexican War.
The 4th Provisional Marine Regiment established a military camp on North Island, in San Diego bay, and named it Camp Thomas in honor of Rear Admiral Chauncey Thomas, USN, Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet. The regiment bivouacked, heading towards the boarder, but tensions eased in Mexico before the Marines could cross the border. The Marines were brought back to San Diego. The officers and men from the 4th Provisional Marine Regiment were disbanded, returning to their regular bases and units. Camp Thomas would not again serve as a camp for the Marines in San Diego.
